[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2020.10.06"]
[Round "3.3"]
[White "Aronian, Levon"]
[Black "Tari, Aryan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C89"]
[WhiteElo "2767"]
[BlackElo "2633"]
[Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"]
[PlyCount "95"]
[EventDate "2020.??.??"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3
d5 {Ever since Frank Marshall unsuccessfully introduced his pet line against
Capablanca, in 1918 in New York, it grew stronger and stronger by the time.
Nowadays, thanks to the rise of the computers it is considered one of the
safest choices by Black. One of the gurus of the line is Levon Aronian himself.
} 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. Re1 ({Kramnik almost lost his
title against Leko due to the following game} 12. d4 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 14. g3 Qh3
15. Re4 g5 16. Qf1 Qh5 17. Nd2 Bf5 18. f3 Nf6 19. Re1 Rae8 20. Rxe8 Rxe8 21. a4
Qg6 22. axb5 Bd3 23. Qf2 Re2 24. Qxe2 Bxe2 25. bxa6 Qd3 26. Kf2 Bxf3 27. Nxf3
Ne4+ 28. Ke1 Nxc3 29. bxc3 Qxc3+ 30. Kf2 Qxa1 31. a7 h6 32. h4 g4 {0-1 (32)
Kramnik,V (2770)-Leko,P (2741) Brissago 2004}) 12... Bd6 13. g3 Bf5 14. d4 Qf6
{Tari chooses a rare line. According to Megabase, there have been only three
games played so far in this variation, all lost by Black.} ({More common is}
14... Qd7 {which was tested by the Armenian GM:} 15. Be3 Rae8 16. Nd2 Bg4 17.
Qb1 ({Or} 17. Qc2 Nxe3 18. Rxe3 Rxe3 19. fxe3 c5 {with typical compensation
for the pawn in Wunderlich,H (2596)-Manso Gil,A (2574) GER email 2017}) 17...
Bf5 18. Qc1 Re6 19. Nf3 Bg4 20. Ng5 Rg6 21. f3 Bxf3 $1 22. Nxf3 Bxg3 23. hxg3
Rxg3+ 24. Kf2 Qh3 {and Black went on to win in Shabalov,A (2608)-Aronian,L
(2675) Mallorca 2004}) 15. Be3 Qg6 16. Nd2 Rae8 17. Qf3 Bg4 {N A novelty which
immediately embarrases the white queen.} ({In an earlier game Black had
compensation after} 17... h5 18. a4 b4 19. Bxd5 cxd5 20. Qxd5 bxc3 21. bxc3 h4
22. Qg2 hxg3 23. fxg3 Rc8 24. c4 Bb4 25. c5 Rfd8 26. Qf2 Bd3 {Fernandez
Cardoso,A (2445) -Marrero Lopez,Y (2242) Matanzas 2017}) 18. Qg2 Qh5 19. h4 {
Quite an interesting idea! Aronian opens more room for his queen which can now
move to h2 if the bishop keeps attacking it. The drawback of the pawn advance
is that his kingside is weakened.} ({Safer seems the immediate} 19. a4 Re6 20.
axb5 axb5 {But perhaps White disliked} 21. Ra6 Bh3 22. Qf3 Bg4 23. Qh1 Bc7 {
when the queen really looks poor in the corner.}) 19... Be2 {Tari wants to
create threats at once.} ({A useful move might have been} 19... h6 $5 {first.
Black opens air for the king and is ready to attack on the kingside with g7-g5.
Play may continue} 20. a4 {Then} Be2 21. axb5 axb5 {looks good for Black as}
22. Nf1 {can be met with} Bf3 ({or} 22... Re7 $5) 23. Bd1 Bxd1 24. Raxd1 f5 {
with initiative for the pawn.}) 20. Nf1 Re6 {The most natural development has
a hidden drawback.} ({With both the rooks on the first rank White can always
meet} 20... Bf3 {with} 21. Bd1 Bxd1 22. Raxd1 {Here} f5 {is not that scary as
White can start trading rooks along the e-file with} 23. Bd2) 21. Bd2 Rfe8 ({
It was not too late for} 21... h6 $1 22. a4 Bf3 23. Bd1 Bxd1 24. Raxd1 Rfe8 25.
axb5 axb5 26. Qh3 f5 {locking the white queen in the process.}) 22. a4 Bf3 23.
Rxe6 $1 {That is the difference.} ({Tari was obviously hoping for} 23. Bd1 Bxd1
24. Raxd1 Rxe1 25. Rxe1 Rxe1 26. Bxe1 Qe2 27. axb5 axb5 28. Bd2 Qd3 29. Qh3 f5
{with a dominant position, which compensates for the pawn.}) 23... Rxe6 24. Qh3
Bg4 25. Qh2 {Now we can appreciate Aronian's h2-h4 idea.} ({Less accurate was}
25. Qh1 Bf3 26. Qh2 Re8) 25... h6 {Finally, Tari went for this useful move,
but at the worst possible moment.} ({The rook needed to step out of the pin
instead:} 25... Re8 $1 {in order to meet} 26. Ne3 {With} ({Black is also in
the game after} 26. axb5 axb5 27. Ra6 Bf8 28. Rxc6 Bf3 29. Ra6 Qf5 {as in
order to free his queen White should likely have to part with his g-pawn later.
}) 26... Nxe3 27. Bxe3 Qf5) 26. axb5 axb5 27. Ne3 $1 {With the rook pinned
this is annoying to say the least.} Bf3 {Now it is really bad for Black.} ({
Pin or no pin, Black needed to capture on e3:} 27... Nxe3 $1 28. Bxe6 Bxe6 29.
Bxe3 Bd5 ({Or perhaps even better} 29... Qe2 $1) 30. Re1 Qg4 {would compensate
for the significant material deficit thanks to White's weakened light squares.}
) 28. Qh3 {All the white pieces are out and the pawn starts to matter.} Be4 29.
Qg4 {The simplest way.} ({Although, a tad more precise was} 29. Ra8+ $1 Kh7 30.
Bd1 Qg6 31. h5 Qf6 32. Nxd5 cxd5 ({Or else Black is getting checkmated after}
32... Bxd5 33. Bc2+ Be4 34. Bxe4+ Rxe4 35. Qc8) 33. Bg4 {winning.}) 29... Qxg4
30. Nxg4 f5 ({More resilient was} 30... Re8 31. Ne3 {although White is a solid
pawn ahead there.}) 31. Ne5 $1 {Just winning.} Bxe5 32. dxe5 Kf8 ({As} 32...
Rxe5 33. Re1 {drops the bishop on the pin.}) 33. f4 Re7 34. Bxd5 $1 {Played
practically instantly. Aronian knows his stuff.} cxd5 ({A small trick supports
White's play:} 34... Bxd5 35. c4 $1) 35. Be3 {Next Aronian simply consolidates.
} Rc7 36. Ra5 Bd3 37. Bd4 Rc6 {Brings the king in.} 38. Kf2 h5 39. Ke3 Bc4 {
Removes the bishop from its optimal position.} 40. Ra3 Rg6 41. b3 Bf1 42. Bc5+
Ke8 43. Bb4 Bg2 44. Kd4 Rc6 45. Ra7 g6 46. Re7+ Kd8 47. e6 Rc7 48. Rf7 {
And celebrates his birthday with a win!} 1-0
